Archive for May, 2011

Rally against radical new IL “civil unions” law today in Chicago

Today a coalition of Illinois pro-family and pro-life advocates launch the Illinois Defense of Marriage Initiative (IDMI; www.DefendMarriageIllinois.org), at a rally in Chicago’s Loop this sponsored by my friend Dick Walsh and Americans For Life[Rally begins at 11:00 AM at St. Peter's Church, 110 W. Madison Ave.; we will march to the Thompson Center] IDMI is a statewide effort to preserve the historic, traditional definition of marriage in the Land of Lincoln. IDMI needs to gather almost 300,000 signatures of registered Illinois voters by next April 2012 – to put an Advisory Question on the 2012 ballot asking the Illinois General Assembly to pass a Constitutional Amendment stating:

“To secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose.”

To accomplish this goal – and have Illinois join the 31 other states whose citizens have stood up for real marriage at the ballot box – we aim to gather 600,000 signatures by next year. This could help us avoid an expensive legal challenge by homosexual activists and the ACLU – who will go to any extreme to deny Illinois voters an opportunity to have their voices heard on traditional marriage. Join our campaign by sending an e-mail to DefendMarriageIL@gmail.com.

Come to the Pro-Marriage Rally in Chicago Friday, May 27th at 11 a.m. in the Loop at St. Peter’s Church, 110 West Madison Ave., Chicago.
Click HERE for More Information on the rally including free bus rides to Chicago from the suburbs

Christian business owners Jim and Beth Walder could be tied up in litigation for years to stop an attempt by homosexual activists and the State of Illinois to force them to host homosexual "civil union" ceremonies -- against their religious beliefs -- at their bed-and-breakfast in Paxton, Illinois. Here the Walders are shown with their five children.

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – Americans For Truth President Peter LaBarbera said today that Springfield’s first-ever “Gay Pride” celebration is another tragic watershed for the Land of Lincoln – and said aggressive homosexual activism encroaching on America’s heartland will surely undermine the First Amendment and religious liberties of citizens who stand for traditional, biblical morality.

LaBarbera and AFTAH (Americans For Truth About Homosexuality) will stand in silent counter-protest to the Springfield homosexual “pride” festival near the state capitol (on Capital Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Streets), under the banner: “Homosexuality: Wrong. Unhealthy. Unnatural. Changeable.”

AFTAH expands on the banner’s message below:

• Wrong: Historic Judeo-Christian teaching – Old and New Testament — holds that homosexual practice is sinful. (See Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Professor Robert Gagnon’s website, www.robgagnon.net, which ably refutes various LGBT attempts to affirm homosexuality as consistent with Christian ethos.) The Roman Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.” Other major religions including Islam similarly teach that homosexual practice defies the Creator.

Naturally, efforts to transform American law to affirm people practicing same-sex behavior have collided with the religious and First Amendment liberties of those who disagree with homosexuality. In Illinois, shortly after lame-duck passage of the ”civil unions” bill, a homosexual male couple targeted Paxton bed-and-breakfast owners Jim and Beth Walder, who have held wedding ceremonies on their property. The “gay” activists seek to use the new law to FORCE the Walders to use their own private business (and property) to host homosexual “civil union” ceremonies against their Christian conscience. Similarly, LGBT activists are maneuvering to FORCE private, religious adoption agencies in Illinois to place children in homosexual-led households against their religious beliefs.

This is the fourth and final part of AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera’s interview with Dr. Michael Brown, author of “A Queer Thing Happened to America.” This aired May 14, 2011. [Click HERE to listen.] Brown, director of Coalition of Conscience, and LaBarbera discuss the proper approach of telling the “truth in love” to people practicing homosexuality. Brown espouses a “Reach Out and Resist” approach of lovingly reaching out to homosexuals with the Gospel while steadfastly resisting the agenda to normalize homosexual, bisexual and transgender behavior through the law and culture.

When asked about controversial pro-”gay” Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton and others who support “civil unions” and pro-homosexual “sexual orientation” laws as an alleged outworking of Christian compassion, Brown says faithful Christians cannot support the idea of legal ”civil rights” based on sinful behavior. He assails the non-biblical approach of “Love Is An Orientation” author Andrew Marin, a liberal Chicago evangelical living in Boystown who seems reluctant to affirm clear Scriptural teachings that homosexual behavior is always sinful. Brown also prays for “Chaz” Bono, the daughter (Chastity) of Sonny and Cher who has gained immense sympathetic media attention surrounding her tragic quest to become a “man.”

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Americans For Truth received an email today forwarded by a U.S. soldier serving overseas, who was sent an official notice containing the following statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marking “International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia” (IDAHO; May 17th). Clinton’s statement had been forwarded by an “EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Counselor,” who endorsed it enthusiastically. The statement is published on the State Department website HERE. Accompanying it in the e-mail obtained by AFTAH is a notice by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) extolling IDAHO. The USAID notice is reprinted verbatim below.

In recent years, “transgender” activists and their allies have begun to popularize the use of the term “Transphobia” [See Urban Dictionary "definitions"]. Of course, the word is tendentious and a derivation of its controversial LGBT cousin, “Homophobia” – the use of which continues to expand to cover opposition to homosexuality rather than irrational “fear” (phobia) of homosexuals. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

——————————————————————–Press Statement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 17, 2011

For Immediate Release

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

WASHINGTON, DC – In every part of the world, men and women are persecuted and attacked because of who they are or whom they love. Homophobia, transphobia and the brutal hostility associated with them are often rooted in a lack of understanding of what it actually means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). So to combat this terrible scourge and break the cycle of fear and violence, we must work together to improve education and support those who stand up against laws that criminalize love and promote hate. As we mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia this May 17, let us resolve to redouble our efforts.

AFTAH in the News: Another victim of ‘homo-fascism’

Dear AFTAH Readers,

Homo-fascism is escalating, and good people — and the national interest – are its tragic victims. The idea that Americans should be smeared as ”hateful” because they take a stand against oxymoronic “same-sex marriage” — when citizens in 31 states voted to defend traditional (real) marriage — is beyond absurd. (In fact, it is hateful!) The name of the game is INTIMIDATION — and after so many years of practice, the “gay” activists are quite good at it. But their strategy could not work without the liberal media acting as a de facto arm of the Homosexual Lobby.

Of course, my heart goes out to Peter Vidmar — and all victims of homosexualist intolerance — but at some point leaders will have to stand up to the “gay” bullies or America will cease to be a free land. You can call or write Vidmar (760-603-8010) using THIS FORM, or send him an e-mail at info@speakersoffice.com. To call Congress to voice your strong opposition to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act– a federal “sexual orientation” bill that would surely create thousands of new “Peter Vidmars” (always in the name of “tolerance” and ”gay civil rights,” of course…) – call 202-224-3121 (Senate) or 202-225-3121 (House). Or go to www.Congress.org. [More info on ENDA: Click HERE for a GovTrack report on the 2011 version of ENDA, HR 1397; click HERE to read my piece: "14 Good Reasons to Oppose the 'ENDA Our Freedom' Bill"]

Stay strong: the homo-fascists may be winning now, but Americans will see through their schemes, and fight back against their evil agenda of demonizing religious people by equating the defense of historic Judeo-Christian values with ”hate and bigotry.” – Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org; americansfortruth@gmail.com

American Family Association’s “One News Now” reports:

_______________________________________________________

Gold medalist resigns, thanks to pro-’gay’ criticism

Charlie Butts – OneNewsNow – 5/12/2011 [Click HERE to read story online; to listen to the report, click the microphone icon at the upper right of the story on the One News Now page.]

Pressure from homosexual activist groups has compelled the head of the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team to quit.

This is the third of our four-part interview with Dr. Mike Brown, author of “A Queer Thing Happened to Amer (www.aqueerthing.com). This pre-recorded interview aired May 8, 2011. [Click HERE to listen.] Brown discusses “gay theology” and its extreme teachings, such as those surrounding the “queerness” of Jesus Christ. The excerpts read from Brown’s book are shocking and yet not on the fringe of the “gay Christian” movement, Brown says. AFTAH is offering “A Queer Thing” at a discount of $25 (including postage). Order the book by sending an email to americansfortruth@gmail.com and your check to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522, or give online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate/ and specify that you are ordering the book.

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Here is Part Two of our interview with Dr. Michael Brown, author of “A Queer Thing Happened to America” and president of the Charlotte, NC-based Coalition of Conscience. [Click HERE to listen.] This interview was pre-taped and aired on WYLL-Chicago April 30, 2011. Brown discusses a chapter in the book in which he shows that many of the same arguments that are used to justify the acceptance of homosexuality are also used to argue for normalizing pedophilia. Brown also discusses his recent debate on same-sex “marriage” at the University of Central Florida, which caused needless controversy due to leftist intolerance for opposing views on homosexuality.

ORDER A BOOK: “A Queer Thing” is available through AFTAH at a discount for a gift of $25 or more (postage paid). Give online at www.americansfortruth.com/donate/, or send your donation to: AFTAH, PO Box 5522, Naperville, IL 60567-5522. This is a four-part interview; go click HERE for the link to Part One of the interview.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes. Do Not Use Real Player. It is not supported and there may be difficulty listening with it. Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.) OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

Dr. Michael Brown, author of "A Queer Thing Happened to America," and one of the world's leading Jewish Christian scholars.

Here is Part One of my interview with Mike Brown [click HERE to listen], perhaps one of the most politically incorrect leaders on the planet. This was pre-recorded and aired April 23rd. Brown, the director of the Coalition of Conscience, based in Charlotte, N.C., is author of “A Queer Thing Happened to America,” a new book about the amazing rise in power of organized homosexuality in the United States. Brown, as a Jewish man who believes in Jesus Christ, is also one of the world’s leading authorities on Jewish Christianity. He has engaged in numerous debates with rabbis about the divinity of Jesus, and authored many books on the subject. In this first segment of our in-depth interview, Brown discusses how he came to faith in Jesus Christ after rebelling as a teenager and getting into very heavy drug use. It is a fascinating testimony and a witness to the awesome, redemptive power of God. — Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes. Do Not Use Real Player. It is not supported and there may be difficulty when attempting to listen with it. Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.) OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.